November 1st

Superpole was a pretty damp affair, the rain getting worse as the session went on, only to start to clear after the session had ended. The miserable conditions saw several riders crashing, Ruben Xaus the first to go, followed later by Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto.

Troy Bayliss chose his moment wisely, and will end his career in World Superbikes starting from pole, ahead of two British riders, Cal Crutchlow and Johnny Rea – drawing comments that they must have felt right at home in the rain. Max Biaggi closes out the front row.

Hayden was quickest once again in the morning session, but the big surprise was Marco Melandri. The Italian, who has an inconceivably appalling season as he struggles with the Ducati, has found something in his setup, and regularly topped the timesheet. The track dried out during the last 10 minutes of the session, generating a frantic rush of activity, with the lead swapping several times a minute.